What are febrile chills?

Febrile chills are when your body feels cold and shivers a lot because it’s trying to get better from a fever.

Imagine you're playing with your favorite toy, and suddenly you feel like you’re outside in the winter without a coat. You start to shiver, that's when your body moves quickly to stay warm. But this isn’t just any cold feeling, it’s because your body is working hard to fight off something, like a bug or a virus, which makes you feel hot later on.

When you have a fever, your body temperature goes up, like a thermostat that's been turned too high. But before it gets warm, your body thinks it’s cold, and it shivers to try to heat itself back up. That's why you might feel really chilly or even want to wrap yourself in blankets.

It's like when you come out of the bath on a chilly day, you’re wet, and your body tries to get warm by shaking. Febrile chills are kind of like that, but it’s not just water, it's your body fighting off germs inside you!